In a move with little precedent, Iranian censorship authorities have seriously disrupted Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), Filterwatch investigations show.
IPv6 is the newest version of internet protocol, or IP, which serves as the basis of internet communications.
IPv6 is a more advanced version of the old IPv4, with an IP address capacity expanded from 32 to 128 bits. It was developed to resolve issues with the older version it will replace, including by increasing speed and security.
One advantage of IPv6 – besides the wider capacity to assign addresses, distribute content, and network optimization – is its relative safety compared to version 4. The new version provides for encryption and internal ID verification for data packets, increasing network security.
Data from Cloudflare Radar indicates that severe disturbances affected IPv6 on Iranian communications networks for a week starting on May 19. These disruptions caused significant issues for paid VPNs, making them difficult to access, as reported by local users who spoke with Filter watch.
Filter watch’s investigations show that these disruptions were not experienced on other free VPNs that use IPv4.
The free VPN operator, Lantern confirmed this to Filter watch, saying that users had encountered no unusual difficulty in accessing VPNs.
The disturbance to IPV6 sparked reactions from the technology community within Iran.
Shargh newspaper reported on May 24 that the disruptions forced operators and internet service providers to transfer traffic to IPv4, spiking usage rates on the older version during the period. Internet for IranCell and cloud service users was also disrupted, cutting Iranian operators off from abroad.
For years, Iran has sought to prioritize IPv6. Amir Mohammadzadeh Lajevardi, the head of Iran’s Communications Regulatory Authority, told ISNA on January 20, 2024 that the migration of operators to the new protocol was on his organization’s agenda.
IPV6 Regulations
Policies regarding internet protocol (or IP) are based on measures approved by the Communications Regulatory Commission. Per the executive guidelines (Alternative link) specifying the Commission’s responsibilities and method of work (passed in May/June 2010), this body is responsible for codifying communications regulations in the framework of Iranian law, as well as enacting and overseeing their implementation.
Regulation developed by the Commission is implemented and overseen by the Communications Regulatory Authority, an organ of the Ministry of Communications. Iranian internet policymakers have been eyeing the plan to migrate to IPv6 from version 4 since 2010, and the Regulatory Authority has prepared documents to this end.
Ali Asghar Ansari, the Deputy head of the Information Technology Company, spoke of the formation of a task force to manage the version transfer on October 25, 2010. Ansari added that this task force was launching a website, http://ipv6iran.ir/, to share information about the migration to the new protocol. The site is not available at present, but its content has been archived.
The Regulatory Authority has produced two primary documents on internet protocol. The first, “IP Address Use Requirements on the National Information Network,” (Alternative link) was approved at session 334 on June 19, 2022. The second, “Criteria for Managing and Organizing Domain Name Servers on the National Information Network,” (Alternative link) was approved at session 335 on July 3, 2022.
Iran’s Information Technology Organization, an organ of the Ministry of Communications, is required by the “IP Address Use Requirements” (Alternative link) to present a strategic roadmap, mechanisms for transition, and a method of using the national network and uniformly overseeing IPV6 IP addresses to the Regulatory Commission within two months of the legislation’s enactment.
Network Status
From May 1, severe disruptions were registered by Arvan Cloud Radar at the data centers of Afranet, MobeinNet, and Hamrah-e Aval. These disruptions persisted for at least a month, continuing until the conclusion of research for this article on May 31.
Throughout May, data center communications to destinations outside the country experienced packet loss due to disruptions. This was confirmed by a Shargh report on May 24, as well as informed sources within Iran who spoke with Filterwatch.
According to these sources, out-of-country communications through the Asiatech, Mokhabarat, Afranet, and IranCell datacenters was disrupted. Charts from Arvan Cloud, meanwhile, show disruptions in datacenter communications with the outside through the month of May.
Technically speaking, these disturbances had consequences for Iran’s communications network and its users which aligned with a general internet policy in Iran, since older generations of protocols and communications technologies are less secure. For just this reason, these older technologies make it easier for state organs to trace and surveil online activities.
